Latch for gates.



A. A. S AUTER.

LATCH FOB. GATES.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 20, 1912.

1,053,651, Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

inseam.

AUGUST A. SAUTER, 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

LATCH FOR GATES.

Application filed June 20, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

Serial No. 704,866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUoUs'r A. SAUTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Covington, county of Kenton, and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Latches for Gates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a latch for a gate which may be operated by either hand or foot.

It frequently happens that a person desiring to open a gate has both hands filled with parcels, &c., and being thus engaged, great inconvenience is experienced in unlocking and opening a gate which must be operated by hand. Especially in rainy weather, when the person is compelled to carry a raised umbrella is this inconvenience experienced, and it is the object of my invention to provide means whereby the lock and gate may be operated in such cases by foot, leaving both gate and lock free to be operated by hand where the hands are at liberty for the purpose. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation showing a gate equipped with my new look; Fig. 2 is a perspective of a part of said lock; Fig. 3 is a perspective of another part of said lock.

The numeral 1 indicates at 2 to the post 3 to swing both inwardly and outwardly. The gate is preferably constructed of iron and has a spring 4, which is adapted to engage a notch in the block 5) attached to the post 6, to lock the gate in the ordinary manner. The upper end of the spring 4 extends above the gate and serves as a handle whereby the spring may be removed from the notch to unlock the gate. Attached to the gate, above the point at which the spring 4t is attached thereto, is a frame 7, composed of two plates joined by bolts 8. By tightening the nuts on said bolts the plates are compressed against the upright of the gate and are thus rigidly secured thereto. Vhen loosened the frame may be moved up and down on the upright for purposes of adjustment. Pivotally attached to the outside of said frame, the inner of the bolts 8 being used as the mounting therefor, is a bell crank 9, the upper arm of said bell crank being equipped with a forwardly projecting arm 10, which is bent to a gate, hinged form a prong 11 adapted to bear against the outer side of the spring 4.. Near the bottom of the gate, attached to the upright thereof is a frame 12, composed of two side plates and attached to the upright by means of bolts 13 in the same manner as frame 7 above described. The frame 12 is therefore adjustable on the upright in the same manner as frame 7. Pivo-tally mounted in the frame 12, on a pivot 14, is a treadle 15, in which a link 16 is pivotally mounted at 17. The free end of said link is supplied with a series of perforations 18, through one of which a pin 19 on the free end of the lower arm of the bell crank 9 is inserted, pivotally connecting said bell crank and said link. The object of having a series of perforations 18 is that a suitable adjustment of the parts may be effected.

From the foregoing description the operation of my invention will be apparent. By hand the lock and gate may be operated in the same manner as other similar locks. \Vhen the hands are not at liberty, the foot may be applied to the treadle 15 and the same depressed; this will draw down the link 16, swing the bell crank, and cause the prong 11 to compress the spring at toward the gate, thereby removing it from the notch in the block 5. The gate may then be pushed forward by foot, opening the same. It will also be understood that the foot-operating mechanism above described may be attached and adjusted to any gate, even where the gate and lock may not have been particularly constructed to receive the same.

In gates provided with locks composed of the spring t and notched block 5, it is found that the spring is apt to reach too far forward, and thus, when the gate is closed, it will not be in position to engage the notch automatically. 'lherefore', I provide in the frame 7 a stud 20, which bears against the upper side of the lower arm of the bell crank 10, thereby maintaining a suitable depression of said arm to cause the prong fl to hold the spring 41 in proper position.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In con'lbination with a gate, a spring adapted to engage a notch to lock said gate, a bell crank mounted on said gate, a stud mounted on said gate and adapted to bear against one arm of said bell crank, whereby said bell crank is caused to maintain said engage said notch to lock said gate when engage said notch to lock said gate when said gate is closed. said gate is closed, and means whereby said 2. In combination with a gate, a spring bell crank may be actuated by foot to operate adapted to engage a notch to lock said gate, said spring in unlocking said gate.

spring in suitable position automatically to spring in suitable position automatically to 10 a bell crank mounted on said gate, a stud AUGUST A. SAUTER. mounted on said gate and adapted to bear Witnesses:

against one arm of said bell crank, whereby ARTHUR H. EWALD,

said bell crank is caused to maintain said FREDK. J. VVENDELU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

